Japanese bookstore Kinokuniya marks its debut in South Asia with first store in Bangladesh

Bookworms in Bangladesh are in for a treat as popular Japanese bookstore Kinokuniya will open its first store in Dhaka at Centrepoint Shopping Mall, Uttara on June 19, 2026. The debut also marks the chain’s entry into the South Asian market, which boasts one of the world’s highest readerships. Earmarked for its quality, service, and vast collection of publications, Kinokuniya will be instrumental in catalysing the reading culture in the country by expanding access to international literature to the region.

Established in Japan in 1927, Kinokuniya has mushroomed into a global book retailer spanning continents. It operates stores across Asia, North America, Australia, and the Middle East, and is widely known for its distribution of manga or Japanese comics.

Kinokuniya’s entry into Bangladesh is more than a corporate move; it is in tune with Bangladesh’s longstanding history with literature that dates back to the colonial period. In colonial India, Bengal (comprising modern day West Bengal in India, and Bangladesh) was the centre for cultural and literary progress. Home to iconic literary figures, Bengal churned out books, newspapers, and other literary works carrying sentiments of independence and anti-British rule in India.

Post-Partition, language was significant in Bangladesh’s stance for liberation. Every year on February 21, the country commemorates the martyrs who died protesting for Bengali to be declared as the official language of East Pakistan, or modern-day Bangladesh in 1952. Nearly 20 years later, the tragedy was the precursor for Bangladesh’s independence in 1971. February 21 is now universally recognised International Mother Language Day by UNESCO, promoting linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism worldwide.

To promote reading and preserve the role of language in the nation’s making, book fairs are organised in every district of Bangladesh, where readers - both old and young – converge to discover new works, meet emerging and famous authors, and immerse themselves in an environment steeped in knowledge and imagination. These book fairs run throughout February every year – a momentary initiative taken to remember those who laid down their lives for their mother tongue.

The efforts to promote reading is not limited to the national level, but also pans into households. In houses, it is typical to find bookshelves adorn living spaces or rooms turned into personal libraries. With adult literacy rate at 75 percent in Bangladesh, publications run rampant in the country. As of 2022, Bangladesh has 3,176 registered newspapers and magazines of which 1,279 are dailies, according to data from the government’s Department of Films and Publications.

The recent years have seen the emergence of book cafes. These are cozy bookstores found in well-off urban areas of the country, serving as a haven for visitors to escape from the daily hustle with books and coffee/tea. The model largely is adopted from international bookstores, where books paired with beverages are practiced as an act of rejuvenation. Given Kinokuniya’s affinity for sprawling layouts defined by rows of bookcases and an in-store café at a corner, bookworms will have another destination to quench their thirst for reading.